Hurricane Harvey down to Tropical Storm, rainfall, flooding still a risk

Several low water crossing roads have been closed in Cedar Park and Leander due to flooding

Courtesy of the National Weather Service

Courtesy of the National Weather Service

Posted
Saturday, August 26, 2017 6:16 pm

By NICK BROTHERS, HCN Managing Editor

As of 1 p.m. today, Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm, however, the rainfall and flooding remains a threat and could continue for several days.

The Austin area is expected to receive about 1.5 to 3 inches of rainfall through tonight, with about 7 to 10 inches total of rainfall expected from the storm. Forecasts show consistent, yet intermittent, rain and winds for the next 36 hours.

According to the regional flood-tracking website, www.atxfloods.com, several low crossing roads in Cedar Park and Leander have been closed due to the heavy rain:

2400 Sumac Lane, Cedar Park

805 Cedar Park Drive, Cedar Park

2348 Cypress Lane, Cedar Park

2403 Peach Tree Lane, Cedar Park

Ridgmar Road at Brushy Creek, Leander

Road conditions can rapidly change with flash flooding threats, city officials said. In the event of high waters, it’s safest to “Turn around, don’t drown.”

Capital Metro tweeted that train service between Lakineline and Crestview stations is unavailable for the time being. Bus service is still available.

Aransas County Judge C.H. “Burt” Mills, Jr. said at a press conference that one person in the county was killed after being caught in a fire in their home during the storm.

Gov. Greg Abbott and top emergency officials announced Saturday that the state’s search-and-rescue operations had begun in earnest, with roughly 1,000 people assigned to operations across various state agencies.

Federal Response to Harvey

In response to Hurricane Harvey, President Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Texas before landfall last night. The declaration makes Individual Assistance and Public Assistance available in six counties: Bee, Goliad, Kleberg, Nueces, San Patricio and Refugio.

For the past 100 hours, FEMA has pushed resources, supplies and equipment closer to the coast to get help quicker to affected communities, according to a press release.

As of this morning, more than 96,000 liters of water, 306,000 meals, 4,500 tarps, and 33 generators are at the Incident Support Bases in Seguin, Texas should they be needed and requested by the state. Additional commodities are in route to the ISBs in Texas and Louisiana in anticipation of requests for assistance from potentially affected states and tribes.

FEMA is providing around the clock staffing at its distribution center in Fort Worth, Texas and is prepared to ship requested commodities as necessary and requested.

FEMA activated the National Emergency Medical Services contract for 100 ambulances for advanced and basic life support to be staged in San Antonio, Texas.

The United States Coast Guard is performing rescue operations and conducted a search and rescue mission for 12 people yesterday prior to Hurricane Harvey’s landfall near Port Mansfield, Texas, Aug. 25, 2017. Two aircrews hoisted all 12 people and transferred them to Charles R Johnson Airport.

Visit the FEMA Social Hub for updates from official emergency management social media accounts

Download the FEMA Mobile App to receive alerts from the National Weather Service, get safety and survival tips, customize your emergency checklist, find your local shelter, and upload your disaster photos to help first responders.

Here’s a forecast of the conditions to expect throughout the rest of the weekend as of 5 p.m. according to the National Weather Service:

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 71. Northeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Sunday

Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 79. Breezy, with a northeast wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Sunday Night

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 69. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Monday

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. North northeast wind around 15 mph.

Monday Night

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

Tuesday Night

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

Wednesday

A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. North northeast wind 10 to 15 mph.

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Yes, the people should decide how their communities are shaped.

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